Power Pros Forum

April 28, 2015

LV…0-0-0-1-0-0-0-1-0…2-6-0
SD…0-0-0-1-0-1-0-1-x…3-6-0

Billy Hamilton (SD): 1-2, 2 R, 2 BB, SB
Matt Andriese (SD): 7.1 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 10 K
Aaron Sanchez (LV): 7 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 6 K

W: Dunn (1-3)…L: Logan (0-1)

Las Vegas moving on from Draves?

Rumors have surfaced that the Las Vegas LineDrives may be in the market for a new hitting coach to replace 46-year-old Hugh Draves. Las Vegas is currently ranked last in nearly every major offensive category, and as a team is hitting a ridiculously awful .203, with only 13 home runs in 26 games this season. The most prominent candidates rumored to be in the running for the job are Terry Crowley and Martín Guerra, both 23-year veterans who have stressed a contact-based approach in the past. While the team’s strikeout rate (around 27 percent) is roughly league-average, members of the front office have expressed displeasure with it nonetheless, and players have voiced their opinions—most of them negative—on the hitting coach, who is believed to be on his way out within a few days.

April 29, 2015

LV…0-1-2-0-0-0-0-0-0…3-7-1
SD…0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0…0-4-1

Paul Goldschmidt (LV): two-run HR in 3rd
Tucker Barnhart (LV): 2-4, 2B
Chris Archer (LV): CG, 4 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K

W: Archer (2-0)…L: Heston (0-3)

April 30, 2015

LV…0-0-0-0-0-2-0-0-1…3-10-0
SD…3-0-0-0-0-1-0-0-x…4-5-0

Jay Bruce (LV): 3-4, 2 2B, R
A.J. Pollock (LV): 2-3, HR, 2 RBI, 2 R, BB
Carl Crawford (SD): 1-4, HR, 3 RBI, R

W: Treinen (2-1)…L: Anderson (1-4)…S: Uehara (7)

Stay tuned for the monthly update, which will come with a few special news items!

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indeed, sir, keen observation!

I'm actually upset that Votto's not leading at first base, he's been having one of the most ridiculous seasons I've ever seen and he deserves to get every vote [don't tell my boss that, #VoteGoldy]

and also upset that Yu Darvish is #1 starting pitcher despite the fact that he won't pitch a single inning this season...but ok

Monthly Update: April 2015

Big News: Las Vegas Extends Two Stars, Hires New Hitting Coach

The Las Vegas LineDrives have rewarded two of their lineup mainstays with extensions, as Brett Gardner and Matt Carpenter officially inked deals that will keep them in Las Vegas for at least a couple more years. The 31-year-old Gardner, who plays left field, signed a contract worth $1,700,000 annually through 2017, with vesting options for the same amount for 2018 and 2019. Carpenter, a 29-year-old third baseman, signed for $1,300,000 per year through 2018, though his contract includes no options. In addition, Las Vegas fired hitting coach Hugh Draves, hiring Terry Crowley, a 23-year veteran, in his place. Crowley, 68, was given a three-year contract for $280,000 annually.

Monthly Awards

Player of the Month
USA: Joey Votto (1B, NSH) — .360, 4 HR, 15 RBI, 16 R
CAN: Mike Trout (CF, WPG) — .337, 3 HR, 17 RBI, 22 R

Pitcher of the Month
USA: Aaron Sanchez (SP, LV) — 4-1, 2.09 ERA, 32 K
CAN: Chad DeRosa (SP, OTT) — 5-1, 2.40 ERA, 43 K

Rookie of the Month
USA: Sanchez
CAN: Joc Pederson (CF, SSK) — .287, 5 HR, 17 RBI

Current Standings

USA East Coast: Nashville (17-10), Boston (15-11), Philadelphia (15-13), Brooklyn (10-18)
USA West Coast: Las Vegas (14-14), San Diego (14-14), Los Angeles (13-14), Seattle (12-16)

CAN Poutine Division: Calgary (15-13), Ottawa (15-13), Montreal (13-15), Toronto (10-18)
CAN Eh Division: Winnipeg (19-9), Regina (14-14), Saskatoon (13-15), Vancouver (13-15)

April Recap

We had a bit of an up-and-down month, as shown by our 14-14 record and the fact that we never won or lost more than three games in a row. Our hitting was atrocious, as we sat last in the league in AVG, SLG, OPS, runs, hits, and home runs; our pitching, however, was very solid, and our bullpen recovered to finish the month with a 2.27 ERA, good for second in the league.

Down on the farm, Scottsdale (AAA) is 10-6, in first place by two games. Catcher Blake Swihart (.392, 5 doubles) and pitchers Nick Hagadone (0.00 ERA, 0.08 FIP) and Evan Scribner (0.00 ERA, 0.64 FIP) have been among the best players at their positions, while other players such as outfielders Keon Broxton and Rusney Castillo and shortstop Francisco Lindor have also been pretty good, with Lindor and Broxton providing a ton of value defensively.

In AA, St. Petersburg has been solid as well, also going 10-6, though that mark puts them in second, two games behind the leader. RHPs Severino Gonzalez (2-0, 1.37 ERA) and Shawn Tolleson (11 G, 1.26 ERA, 17.0 K/9) have been good, and the offense has been solid across the board…but center fielder Albert Almora, slashing a ridiculous .420/.473/.740 with four doubles, four home runs, and fourteen runs scored—all while being a stellar defender—has been an absolute stud, and should be promoted (at least to Scottsdale) in short order.

Waxahachie, our A-ball affiliate, has been absolutely slaughtering the competition, with a 13-3 record that puts them 5.5 games ahead of second place in their division. They lead the division in every category except batting strikeouts (2nd), starters’ ERA (2nd), and home runs allowed (T-2nd). Young catcher Reese McGuire is hitting .413 and playing very good defense, and starting pitchers Dylan Bundy and Tom Windle boast ERAs of 0.83 and 0.98, respectively.

Player Stats and Analysis

RHP Felix Hernandez — 6 GS, 3-3, 3.30 ERA, 1.80 FIP; 43.2 IP, 5 BB, 58 K
RHP Aaron Sanchez — 6 GS, 4-1, 2.09 ERA, 3.34 FIP; 43.0 IP, 12 BB, 32 K
RHP Chris Archer* — 2 GS, 2-0, 0.49 ERA, 1.96 FIP; 18.1 IP, 4 BB, 19 K
RHP Chase Anderson — 6 GS, 1-4, 5.52 ERA, 4.29 FIP; 31.0 IP, 10 BB, 35 K
RHP Nate Karns — 5 GS, 3-1, 1.99 ERA, 3.35 FIP; 31.2 IP, 7 BB, 42 K

RHP Greg Holland — 10 G, 0-1, 5 SV, 1 HLD; 4.00 ERA, 2.49 FIP, 3.0 K/BB
RHP Ken Giles — 8 G, 0-1, 4 HLD; 3.00 ERA, 4.05 FIP, 3.0 K/BB
RHP Dellin Betances — 6 G, 1 SV, 3 HLD; 0.00 ERA, 2.88 FIP, 2.0 K/BB
RHP Steve Geltz — 5 G, 1 SV, 3 HLD; 0.00 ERA, 0.08 FIP, 11 K (0 BB)
RHP Luke Gregerson** — 13 G, 3 HLD; 1.64 ERA, 5.20 FIP, 4.5 K/BB
RHP Dan Otero — 5 G, 1 HLD; 0.00 ERA, 1.47 FIP, 7 K (0 BB)
LHP Boone Logan*** — 12 G, 0-1, 6 HLD; 4.50 ERA, 1.58 FIP, 5.0 K/BB

RHP Odrisamer Despaigne — 4 G, 3 GS, 0-2; 6.63 ERA, 3.54 FIP, 3.1 K/BB
RHP Evan Scribner — 4 G, 1-0; 3.00 ERA, 3.88 FIP, 5 K (0 BB)

*Archer made two relief appearances with Boston, pitching 2.2 shutout innings. Those stats are included in the given season stats.
**Gregerson received credit for 2 games and 1 hold on 4/23.
***Logan received credit for 3 games and 3 holds on 4/23.

Yasmani Grandal — C (22/20), 1B (3/0) — .189/.302/.338, 3 HR, 10 RBI, 6 R; 22.2 CS%, 3.24 CERA
Paul Goldschmidt — 1B (27/26) — .289/.364/.515, 5 HR, 13 RBI, 12 R, 2/2 SB; -0.4 ZR, .968 EFF
Ian Kinsler — 2B (24/23) — .220/.304/.256, 0 HR, 4 RBI, 7 R; +0.7 ZR, 1.021 EFF
Matt Carpenter — 3B (22/22), 1B (1/0) — .271/.347/.400, 1 HR, 8 RBI, 12 R; +1.0 ZR, 1.028 EFF
Zack Cozart — SS (24/22) — .127/.169/.203, 1 HR, 8 RBI, 6 R; +2.0 ZR, 1.046 EFF
Brett Gardner — LF (24/22) — .250/.368/.400, 1 HR, 6 RBI, 7 R, 4/11 SB; +3.2 ZR, 1.115 EFF
Juan Lagares — CF (20/17) — .132/.220/.189, 0 HR, 2 RBI, 2 R; +3.2 ZR, 1.176 EFF
Jay Bruce — RF (24/23) — .175/.275/.275, 1 HR, 6 RBI, 10 R, 1/1 SB; +2.4 ZR, 1.159 EFF

Tucker Barnhart — C (15/8) — .333/.353/.515, 1 HR, 5 RBI, 3 R; 83.3 CS%, 2.41 CERA
Taylor Featherston* — 2B (3/2), SS (6/4), 3B (10/5) — .234/.229/.319, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 5 R, 0/1 SB
Justin Turner — 1B (1/1), 2B (2/2), SS (1/1), 3B (2/1) — .222/.243/.306, 0 HR, 2 RBI, 4 R
A.J. Pollock — LF (5/4), CF (13/10), RF (6/4) — .221/.274/.338, 1 HR, 6 RBI, 5 R, 3/5 SB
David Ortiz — 1B (3/1), LF (1/0), RF (3/1) — .179/.281/.321, 1 HR, 5 RBI, 2 R

Delino DeShields Jr. — 2B (3/0), LF (2/1), CF (2/1) — 0-12, SB, R, 2 BB, 6 SO
Enrique Hernandez — 2B (1/1), SS (1/1), LF (1/1), RF (1/0) — 2-9, RBI, R, 2 SO

*Yes, Featherston’s OBP is actually lower than his AVG — he hasn’t walked yet, and he’s hit into one sacrifice fly.
**Turner's stats with Calgary are included in his season stats.

Lineup Analysis

We used 26 different lineups in 28 games. Our lineup shuffled around a lot for a lot of reasons—players not living up to expectations, resting starters, injuries, hot streaks — but Matt Carpenter and Paul Goldschmidt were 1-2 when they were in the lineup, while the center fielder batted 8th in all but four games. A breakdown of spots 1-8 in the order (pitcher bats 9th):

1: Carpenter 22, Gardner 6
2: Goldschmidt 26, Kinsler 1, Gardner 1
3: Grandal 17, Gardner 6, Barnhart 3, Kinsler 1, Ortiz 1
4: Bruce 17, Kinsler 5, Cozart 2, Grandal 1, Barnhart 1, Turner 1, Gardner 1
5: Kinsler 15, Gardner 4, Cozart 4, Turner 2, Ortiz 1, Pollock 1, Bruce 1
6: Cozart 5, Featherston 5, Gardner 4, Bruce 4, Pollock 3, Barnhart 3, Turner 2, Grandal 1, Kinsler 1
7: Cozart 8, Pollock 6, Featherston 6, Hernandez 3, Lagares 2, DeShields Jr. 1, Grandal 1, Bruce 1
8: Lagares 15, Pollock 8, Cozart 3, Barnhart 1, DeShields Jr. 1

Next Up

Next up is a three-game home set against Nashville.

5/1: RHP Nate Karns (3-1, 1.99) vs. RHP Carlos Martinez (2-2, 2.55) — first Fireworks Friday of the season
5/2: RHP Felix Hernandez (3-3, 3.30) vs. LHP Hyun-jin Ryu (2-1, 1.29) — first 20,000 fans receive a Paul Goldschmidt bobblehead
5/3: RHP Aaron Sanchez (4-1, 2.09) vs. RHP Miguel Gonzalez (2-0, 1.54) — first 5,000 fans 13 and under receive a Felix Hernandez youth jersey

[SURVEY: APRIL 2015]

I would greatly appreciate it if you would take the time to fill out

this survey

regarding the log and possible changes, thanks!

NOTE: I am still gathering responses to the survey; this update was written before the survey took place

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May 1, 2015

NSH…1-0-0-0-0-1-0-1-0…3-6-1
LV…0-0-0-0-2-1-0-0-1…4-6-0

Joey Votto (NSH): 2-2, 2B, HR, RBI, 2 R, 2 BB
Brian McCann (NSH): 2-4, 3B, HR, 2 RBI, R
Yasmani Grandal (LV): scored game-winning run on passed ball with bases loaded in 9th

W: Holland (1-1)…L: Robertson (0-1)

Dan Otero and Steve Geltz both blew saves, allowing their first earned runs of the year in the process…Sounds right fielder Matt Kemp was injured on a defensive play in the third inning, and was replaced by Alex Gordon and diagnosed with an oblique strain…LineDrives right fielder Jay Bruce was injured running the bases in the ninth inning, and was replaced by Juan Lagares; no diagnosis has been revealed yet, but Bruce will be held out tomorrow as he undergoes tests on the injured area.

May 2, 2015

NSH…0-0-0-0-0-0-4-0-1…5-8-0
LV…0-0-1-0-0-2-0-0-0…3-7-0

Joey Votto (NSH): 2-3, 2B, HR, 2 RBI, R, BB
Anthony Rendon (NSH): 2-4, 2B, 3B, 2 R
Matt Carpenter (LV): 4-5, R

W: Ryu (3-1)…L: Hernandez (3-4)…S: Baez (5)

May 3, 2015

NSH…0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0…0-5-0
LV…1-0-0-0-0-0-0-3-x…4-8-0

Paul Goldschmidt (LV): 2-4, 3B, HR, 3 RBI, R
Aaron Sanchez (LV): 7 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 4 BB, 7 K

W: Sanchez (5-1)…L: Gonzalez (2-1)…S: Geltz (2)

INJURY UPDATE: Right fielder Jay Bruce has been diagnosed with a hip strain. He is expected to miss at least three weeks, and has been placed on the 15-day DL. Outfielder Rusney Castillo, hitting .326 and slugging .630 at AAA, was promoted to take his place. Albert Almora was promoted to AAA to replace Castillo.

Also, players of the week were announced: Sounds first baseman Joey Votto (.533, 2 HR, 4 RBI, 3 R) and Swamp Dragons third baseman Kyle Seager (.346, 2 HR, 6 RBI, 3 R). The power rankings this week again feature Winnipeg on top and Brooklyn on bottom, but Nashville has snuck up from third to second, and Las Vegas has dropped down to seventh place (fourth in USA).

Next up is another three-game home series, this one against the Brooklyn Dodgers. Archer, Anderson, and Karns will go for us against Scherzer, Cole, and Samardzija.

May 4, 2015

BRK…0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0…0-6-0
LV…0-0-0-0-1-0-0-0-x…1-4-1

Max Scherzer (BRK): 8 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 11 K
Chris Archer (LV): 7 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 4 BB, 7 K

W: Archer (3-0)…L: Scherzer (1-3)…S: Holland (6)

May 5, 2015

BRK…0-0-0-0-0-1-0-0-0…1-8-0
LV…0-2-0-0-0-0-0-3-x…5-7-0

Gerrit Cole (BRK): 7 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 13 K
Justin Turner (LV): pinch-hit 3-run triple in 8th

W: Anderson (2-4)…L: Cole (1-3)

May 6, 2015

BRK…0-0-0-0-0-0-1-1-0…2-3-0
LV…1-1-0-0-0-1-0-4-x…7-10-0

Paul Goldschmidt (LV): 3-5, RBI, R
Nate Karns (LV): 6 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 12 K
Michael Brantley (BRK) and Ken Giles (LV): ejected in 9th following a bench-clearing brawl after a HBP; suspended for one game apiece [technically two games but apparently this game counted as one???]

W: Karns (4-1)…L: Samardzija (0-5)

An official statement has been released by LineDrives GM/manager Parker Bernhart:

“On behalf of the LineDrives organization, I would like to apologize for the actions of one of our players last night. Mr. Giles’s behavior was unacceptable and a disgrace to not only this team and this league but to the game of baseball itself. We have addressed the issue with Mr. Giles and have warned him that future such incidents will lead to severe punishment from within the organization. We respect the suspension handed down by the league commissioner, which Mr. Giles will not be appealing. Once again, I apologize for our entire organization for Mr. Giles’s disgraceful behavior last night. Thank you.”

Next up for Las Vegas is a three-game trip to Seattle to face the Pilots. Hernandez, Sanchez, and Archer will square off against righties Jeremy Hellickson (1-2, 5.67), Chad Billingsley (2-0, 1.57), and Boone Whiting (0-1, 5.29).

May 5, 2015

The latest voting results have been released for the All-Star Game, which will be held on Thursday, May 21. Results are as follows (current vote total in parentheses):

Bold denotes Las Vegas players, Italics denotes player who leads league in votes, players with first names are new to the results

USA LEAGUE

C: Gomes (330,498), Molina (295,465), Grandal (224,990)
1B: Goldschmidt (360,813), Abreu (353,313), Votto (345,743)
2B: Dozier (218,306), Walker (211,167), Jace Peterson (167,061)
3B: Carpenter (243,454), Rendon (242,960), Wright (218,009)
SS: Desmond (256,361), Kang (199,970), Erick Aybar (167,642)
LF: Gordon (317,958), Crawford (204,699), Choo (161,110)
CF: McCutchen (358,686), Jones (221,157), Jacoby Ellsbury (172,311)
RF: Puig (353,882), Kemp (337,263), Stanton (327,188)
SP: Kershaw (361,920), Hernandez (359,433), Scherzer (309,833), Darvish (286,447), Latos (279,221)
RP: Kimbrel (341,965), Benoit (317,577), Robertson (306,720), Holland (286,523), Beliveau (267,356)

CANADIAN LEAGUE

C: Posey (348,801), Martin (290,428), Lucroy (285,809)
1B: Martinez (363,382), Rizzo (270,532), Pujols (259,977)
2B: Altuve (339,335), Cano (333,862), Pedroia (198,623)
3B: Donaldson (346,194), Beltre (310,991), Hanley Ramirez (266,262)
SS: Tulowitzki (361,188), Reyes (206,420), Simmons (187,261)
LF: Holliday (343,434), Gomez (337,948), Dickerson (299,392)
CF: Trout (364,220), Pederson (244,463), Springer (197,533)
RF: Bautista (360,007), Braun (290,753), Harper (242,320)
SP: Bumgarner (353,297), Sale (349,864), Strasburg (267,977), Cueto (259,474), Sonny Gray (236,962)
RP: Davis (365,679), Melancon (315,839), Jansen (312,672), Cishek (302,450), Chapman (285,161)

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still waiting for more survey responses, as a reminder it can be found here:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1q4lkQW3dbad33YxWD7SH2mYI322ENNOxKCUZ8EfP5dA/viewform?usp=send_form

I love this log Agent, very detailed. I've been looking at this game and thinking of purchasing it, would you recommend it?

Thank you! Personally, I love this game; it's not for everyone because some people prefer fun to detail, but it's a very well-done, very high-detail game, and the customization options are very nice. I would recommend it, I bought both the 15 and 16 versions and they've been well worth the money.

Survey is now closed, thanks to the five of you that responded! Changes should start showing up next update, as I've been experimenting with different styles to see what sticks over the last couple of weeks (in-game weeks, not IRL weeks), so keep an eye out for those and let me know what you like/don't like!

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May 7, 2015

LV…0-1-0-0-0-0-0-0-0…1-7-0
SEA…2-0-0-0-0-0-0-2-x…4-8-0

Justin Turner (LV): 3-4
Brett Lawrie (SEA): 2-2, 2 R, 2 BB
Jeremy Hellickson (SEA): 8 IP, 7 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 7 K

W: Hellickson (2-2)…L: Hernandez (3-5)…S: Rowen (10)

May 8, 2015

LV…3-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0…3-5-1
SEA…0-0-0-0-3-0-0-0-1…4-10-0

Yadier Molina (SEA): 2-5, SB, walk-off HR
Jake Lamb (SEA): 3-run, pinch-hit homer in 5th
Darren O’Day (SEA): 2.2 shutout innings in relief

W: O’Day (1-2)…L: Betances (0-1)

May 9, 2015

LV…2-0-2-0-0-0-0-0-1…5-11-0
SEA…0-0-0-0-2-0-0-0-0…2-9-0

Yasmani Grandal (LV): 2-5, HR, 2 RBI, 2 R
David Ortiz (LV): 2-5, HR, 2 RBI, R
Ian Desmond (SEA): 2-4, 2B, HR, 2 RBI, R

W: Archer (4-0)…L: Whiting (0-2)…S: Holland (7)

After an off day Sunday, the LineDrives will return home for a three-game series against Boston. Projected starters are Anderson, Karns, and Hernandez against RHP Mat Latos (3-0, 2.25), LHP Brett Anderson (3-3, 3.09), and RHP Brandon Morrow (2-5, 4.72).

Players of the Week were announced: Seattle 1B Adrian Gonzalez (.458, 1 HR, 5 RBI, 5 R) and Winnipeg RF Ryan Braun (.375, 4 HR, 11 RBI, 7 R). Winnipeg and Boston were back at 1-2 in the power rankings, with Brooklyn 16th again and Las Vegas up one spot to sixth.

May 11, 2015

Las Vegas holds on, defeats Boston 4-3

In a thrilling series opener, the Las Vegas LineDrives got an early lead and held on (barely) to defeat Boston 4-3 in front of a great crowd at Panpaka Park on Monday night. A sacrifice fly and RBI double from A.J. Pollock and an RBI single from Rusney Castillo put the LineDrives ahead 3-0 after three innings, but in the seventh inning, with both teams having scored one run, rookie manager Parker Bernhart inserted young right-hander Ken Giles into the game.

Giles promptly walked Jorge Cantu and struck out Brian Dozier to lead off the inning, but that wasn’t the worst of it. Didi Gregorius, a shortstop certainly known for his glove, but not so much for his bat, ripped a liner into the gap for a triple, scoring Cantu. Pedro Alvarez pinch-hit for the pitcher, and Giles’ nerves got the best of him, as an ill-advised pickoff throw sailed over the head of third baseman Matt Carpenter, allowing Gregorius to score easily, and Giles promptly plunked Alvarez. Wil Myers came up and was drilled too, igniting a bench-clearing brawl that got Giles and Myers ejections as well as six-game suspensions (the suspension was Giles’s second in less than a week). Steve Geltz then came on and walked Carlos Ruiz to load the bases with only one out, but Geltz stepped up and struck out sluggers Miguel Cabrera and Giancarlo Stanton to end the threat, and Dellin Betances and Greg Holland had no trouble, pitching scoreless frames in the 8th and 9th innings, respectively, to polish off a close win for Las Vegas.

Chase Anderson (3-4) pitched six strong innings to take the win, with Mat Latos (3-4) battling a high pitch count through his six innings and taking the loss. Holland recorded his eighth save of the year in relief.

Oh hey, and we casually traded 12 percent of our team to Boston after the game, sending LHP Boone Logan (0-1, 4.15), RHP Luke Gregerson (3.00 ERA), and 2B Ian Kinsler (.208/.311/.236) along with 1st round and 4th round draft picks for pitching prospects Dillon Tate and Tyler Jay and $3,000,000 in cash. The deal will cut $3,120,000 in salary from the LineDrives’ payroll, and will add to their impressive collection of prospects. “It was a deal too good to pass up. We loved having Boone and Luke and Ian around, but we felt it was time to give some other guys a shot and knowing that we’re getting players we’re familiar with, Dillon [Tate] and Tyler [Jay], instead of having to take a gamble in the draft, is a major plus for us,” GM Parker Bernhart said. Both prospects will report to Waxahachie (A), with Tate stepping into the rotation and Jay filling a bullpen role for now. The promotions of shortstop prospect Francisco Lindor as well as relievers Evan Scribner and Nick Hagadone will accompany this roster move. Lindor will slide into the starting lineup, Bernhart said, as Zack Cozart will receive a few days off to rest and receive work at second base. “We have faith that Zack will come back from this, but right now he’s scuffling at the plate and we want him to get a chance to clear his head. In addition, getting him some practice at second will allow us to maximize our flexibility, and if he performs well enough, he could step into the starting gig at second base.” For now, though, it looks like some combination of Taylor Featherston and Justin Turner will get the starts at the keystone.

The LineDrives are back in action tomorrow night at 7:05, with Las Vegas right-hander Nate Karns (4-1, 1.69) opposing Boston left-hander Brett Anderson (3-3, 3.09) on the mound.

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this is an example of a short (2/3 paragraph) recap, though the trade news makes it look a lot longer

May 12, 2015

The latest voting results have been released for the All-Star Game, which will be held on Thursday, May 21. Results are as follows (current vote total in parentheses):

Bold denotes Las Vegas players, Italics denotes player who leads league in votes, players with first names are new to the results

USA LEAGUE

C: Gomes (612,733), Molina (534,606), Grandal (391,614)
1B: Votto (694,170), Miguel Cabrera (687,929), Goldschmidt (650,938)
2B: Dozier (416,789), Walker (340,840), Peterson (324,896)
3B: Carpenter (480,973), Rendon (432,054), Wright (401,303)
SS: Desmond (479,689), Kang (347,619), Aybar (313,284)
LF: Gordon (601,560), Crawford (368,286), Choo (316,024)
CF: McCutchen (666,425), Jones (397,802), Ellsbury (310,733)
RF: Puig (659,038), Stanton (593,157), Kemp (586,603)
SP: Kershaw (724,857), Hernandez (649,613), Scherzer (523,907), Darvish (505,768), Latos (497,357)
RP: Kimbrel (679,842), Benoit (533,576), Robertson (533,378), Holland (504,106), Beliveau (501,360)

NOTES: It appears Sounds fans have been getting out and voting, with Votto leaping from third to first, and Benoit and Robertson hanging strong in 2nd and 3rd at RP, among others.

CANADIAN LEAGUE

C: Posey (584,776), Martin (534,504), Lucroy (509,604)
1B: Martinez (633,860), Rizzo (480,009), Pujols (437,410)
2B: Altuve (611,873), Cano (588,891), Pedroia (372,102)
3B: Donaldson (683,784), Beltre (580,136), Ramirez (454,547)
SS: Tulowitzki (694,551), Reyes (400,186), Simmons (336,386)
LF: Holliday (691,198), Gomez (590,467), Dickerson (535,148)
CF: Trout (726,824), Pederson (473,566), Springer (389,866)
RF: Bautista (625,070), Braun (588,275), Harper (470,332)
SP: Bumgarner (670,941), Sale (651,689), Strasburg (474,249), Gray (464,690), Cueto (421,759)
RP: Davis (713,662), Melancon (529,210), Jansen (525,056), Cishek (510,731), Chapman (441,076)

NOTES: Literally the only things that changed from last week were Trout becoming the highest-voted player over Davis and Gray and Cueto flipping places. That’s it. Lots of drama here.

Can I vote for Adrian Gonzalez??? #VOTEGONZO #GONZOMANIA #GONZOFORMVP Cash in 35 votes for A-Gon!

Cash in 35 votes for Beliveau

#BelieveInBeliveau

Cash in 35 more votes for Yasmani Grandal! #GRANDALMANIA

experimented with a bunch of different styles in this update

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May 12, 2015

BOS…0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0…0-5-0
LV…0-0-0-1-1-0-0-0-x…2-7-0

Brett Anderson (BOS): 7 IP, 7 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 4 K
Nate Karns (LV): 7 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 3 BB, 8 K

W: Karns (5-1)…L: Anderson (3-4)…S: Holland (9)

May 13, 2015

BOS…0-1-0-0-0-1-1-0-0-0-0-0-0-1…4-16-1
LV…2-0-1-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0…3-5-1

(yes, 14 innings)

Carlos Ruiz (BOS): 3-7, solo HR in 6th
BOS bullpen: 10 scoreless innings; one hit allowed, six walks
Matt Carpenter (LV) committed error allowing winning run to score

W: Logan (1-1)…L: Otero (0-1)…S: Vincent (1)

Notable: All three players we traded (Ian Kinsler, Luke Gregerson, Boone Logan) appeared in the game. Dan Otero pitched 3.2 innings in relief as the bullpen was short-handed due to fatigue (Greg Holland) and suspension (Ken Giles). Nick Vincent, who got the save for Boston, pitched for the fifth time in six days. Oh yeah, and Taylor Featherston drew walks in both of his plate appearances off the bench so his OBP > his AVG now.

Next up: a three-game set against Philadelphia. RHP Aaron Sanchez (5-1, 2.09) will face off against LHP Clayton Kershaw (3-0, 0.00) in the opener. Kershaw has pitched 25 2/3 consecutive scoreless innings to begin the season.

May 14, 2015

The Phillies won the game 5-4, but boy, was it a weird one. In fact, of the nine runs scored, only one of them was earned—due to the fact that both teams committed three errors, with two of the LineDrives’ errors coming at the hot corner courtesy of Matt Carpenter—who was their best offensive player, going 2 for 5 with a double and a two-run single in the second inning. Overall, it was an incredibly sloppy game for both teams, and while Philadelphia took the win, they can’t be encouraged by the fact that their closer struggled to finish the game, allowing a solo home run to lead off the ninth, or the fact that their fielders seemed to be completely incapable of cleanly taking in even a routine grounder.

With the rest of the Las Vegas bullpen gassed after the marathon game last night, Nick Hagadone had to pitch three innings in relief of starter Aaron Sanchez (5-2), but he pitched very well, allowing only two hits and striking out three batters. The suspension of Ken Giles has really hurt the team’s bullpen depth, and any more slip-ups may lead to heavy discipline from within the organization. Another note: infielder Zack Cozart will return to the lineup tomorrow night, fully rested and ready to go—but he will be playing a new position, second base, a position the team feels he can play at a high level due to “boot camp” training sessions over the past few days with the coaching staff. In addition, after committing two errors tonight, Matt Carpenter will get the day off tomorrow, according to manager Parker Bernhart, with either Taylor Featherston or Justin Turner taking his place in the lineup. Chris Archer and Raisel Iglesias pitch tomorrow in the second game of the series.

May 15, 2015

SCORING SUMMARY

Top 1st: Cozart doubles, Featherston scores; 1-0 LV
Top 2nd: Featherston homers, Archer scores; 3-0 LV

BOX SCORE

LAS VEGAS LINEDRIVES (23-19)

Featherston 3b…1-3, hr, 2 rbi, 2 r, bb, so
Goldschmidt 1b…0-4, 2 so
Grandal c………..0-4, 2 so
Cozart 2b………..1-4, 2b, rbi
Castillo rf…………2-3, bb, so, sb
Lindor ss………….0-3, so, sac
Pollock lf………….0-3, bb
Lagares cf………..0-4, 2 so
Archer p…………..1-3, r, 2 so

Archer (W, 5-0)……9 IP, 9 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 6 K; 94 pitches-70 strikes

PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES (22-20)

Peterson 2b………0-4
Martin lf…………..1-4
Adams 1b………..1-4, so
Soler rf……………1-4, 2 so
Pompey cf………..2-4, so
Solarte 3b………..1-4, cs
Aybar ss………….1-3
Iglesias p…………0-2, 2 so
-Mauer ph………..1-1

Iglesias (L, 0-5)…..6 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 6 K; 93 pitches-53 strikes
Morin………………2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 5 K; 29 pitches-19 strikes
Hall…………………1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 0 K; 16 pitches-7 strikes

May 16, 2015

SCORING SUMMARY

Top 2nd: Pollock walks, Castillo scores, Lindor to third, Gardner to second; 1-0 LV
Bot 3rd: Martin doubles, Solarte scores, Peterson scores; 2-1 PHI
Top 6th: Castillo homers, Cozart scores; 3-2 LV
Top 6th: Lindor homers; 4-2 LV
Bot 7th: Marte singles, Pompey scores, Solarte to third, Mauer to second; 4-3 LV
Bot 7th: Peterson flies to center, Solarte scores; 4-4
Top 8th: Featherston homers; 5-4 LV
Bot 8th: Pompey homers, Adams and Soler score; 7-5 PHI

BOX SCORE

LAS VEGAS LINEDRIVES (23-20)

Carpenter 3b-lf……1-4, bb, 2 so
Goldschmidt 1b…..0-4, bb, 2 so, sb
Grandal c………….1-5, so, pb
Cozart 2b………….2-5, r
Castillo rf…………..1-3, hr, 2 rbi, 2 r, bb, so
Lindor ss……………2-4, hr, rbi, r, cs
Gardner lf…………..1-3, so
-Featherston ph-3b..1-1, hr, rbi, r
Pollock cf……………0-3, rbi, bb, 2 so
Anderson p…………0-3, 3 so
-Ortiz ph…………….0-1, so

Anderson………………….6.1 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 4 BB, 6 K; 104 P/61 S
Scribner (BS, 1)…………..0.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K; 11 P/5 S
Hagadone (H, 1)………….0 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 0 K; 2 P/1 S
Betances (L, 0-2; BS, 1)…1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 3 K; 16 P/12 S

PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES (23-20)

Peterson 2b-ss…0-2, rbi, r, bb, so, sf, e
Martin lf…………3-4, 2b, 2 rbi, cs
Adams 1b………1-4, r, so
Soler rf………….1-4, r, 2 so
Perez c………….0-4, 2 so
Pompey cf………2-3, hr, 3 rbi, 2 r, bb, so
Solarte 3b……….1-3, 2 r, bb, so, cs
Aybar ss…………0-2
-Mauer ph……….bb
-Villar 2b…………0-1, so
Walker p…………0-1, sac
-Marte ph………..1-1, rbi

Walker……………….5 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 3 BB, 8 K; 108 P/65 S
Morin…………………2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 5 K; 29 P/21 S
Hall…………………..0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K; 1 P/1 S
Thatcher…………….0 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 0 K; 5 P/3 S
O’Flaherty (W, 2-2)…0.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K; 9 P/7 S
Elbert (SV, 10)………1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K; 18 P/10 S

a) that’s not how holds work, why did hagadone get a hold, this makes no sense
b) over the last two games, mike morin faced 14 batters and struck out 10 of them, wow
c) goldschmidt is now 0 for his last 19, that’s good
d) re-signed greg holland: 3 years, 3.25 mil, player option for 4th year at 1.3 mil
e) re-signed dellin betances: 1 year, 900 grand
f) angels next up, karns (5-1, 1.45) v kluber (4-3, 2.10) in series opener on sunday, it’s our last series of the first half and we’re in first place (by 2 games) so these are obviously v important games so we’ll lose all of them probably
g) also ken giles is back from his suspension and he’s ready to blow some saves!!!!1!!!!1!! go team

woah, ready to blow saves?

I don't know what you mean. He throws 100 MPH, surely he'll blow away the competition!